The present invention relates to a combing cylinder for a comber, and more specifically, to a combing cylinder for a comber including multiple replaceable comb segments.
A comber includes a working portion provided with multiple (typically, eight) combing heads. The combing heads perform a series of operation to form slivers from raw material, or laps. FIG. 5 shows a combing head 51 including a combing cylinder 54 and a nipper 53 having a feed roller 52. The combing head 51 further includes two pairs of detaching rollers 55, 56 arranged adjacent to each other in the front and rear direction of the combing head 51. The nipper 53 includes a nipper frame 57 arranged to reciprocate in the front and rear direction of the combing head 51 above the combing cylinder 54. The nipper 53 also includes a bottom nipper 58 located at the bottom of the nipper frame 57.
A nipper frame driving arm 59 pivots back and forth, or swings, together with a nipper shaft 60. This swinging motion reciprocates the nipper frame 57 such that the distal end of the bottom nipper 58 approaches and separates from the detaching rollers 55. The nipper frame 57 rotationally supports a nipper arm 61. The nipper arm 61 has a top nipper 61a secured to its distal end. The top nipper 61a approaches and separates from the bottom nipper 58 at predetermined timing in synchronization with the reciprocation of the nipper frame 57, and clamps a lap L in cooperation with the bottom nipper 58. The nipper frame 57 has a top comb 62 mounted such that the top comb 62 moves in a predetermined manner in synchronization with the nipper frame 57 in front of the bottom nipper 58.
Below the combing cylinder 54 is provided a brush 63, and below the brush 63 is provided a non-illustrated suction duct. The combing cylinder 54 and the top comb 62 remove, for example, short fibers and neps from the lap L, which are then sucked into the suction duct.
The combing cylinder 54 uses different kinds of needle arrays (teeth) in accordance with the kind of cotton and the required sliver quality. The combing cylinder 54 typically uses a circular comb including four rows of needle arrays. To respond to a demand for higher sliver quality or to further improve the productivity of the sliver, the combing cylinder 54 including five rows of needle arrays needs to be used.
FIG. 6 shows a combing cylinder 54 disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-146501. The combing cylinder 54 includes multiple comb segments 66 with needle arrays 66a detachably secured to a support 67. The sizes of the needle arrays 66a vary from one comb segment 66 to another. Each comb segment 66 includes a slot 66b on the end opposite to the end where the needle array 66a is arranged. The width of the slot 66b increases toward the needle array 66a. The support 67 has slots 67a formed on its surface to extend in the axial direction of the combing cylinder 54. Each slot 67a accommodates a mounting member 68 arranged to protrude from the slot 67a of the support 67. Each comb segment 66 is secured to the support 67 via the mounting member 68 including a fitting portion that fits with the slot 66b of the comb segment 66. The support 67 includes bolt insertion holes 69 formed to correspond to the slots 67a. Each bolt insertion hole 69 receives a bolt 70 from the opening farther from the slot 67a toward the slot 67a. The mounting member 68 includes threaded bores and is secured to the support 67 by screwing the bolts 70 in the threaded bores. The combing cylinder 54 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6, that is, clockwise.
In accordance with the kind of raw cotton and the required quality of the sliver to be spun, the combing cylinder 54 is used either with all the comb segments 66 secured to the support 67 or with one or some of the comb segments 66 detached.
When the combing cylinder 54 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-146501 is used with four of the comb segments 66, the comb segment 66 located at the trailing end of the combing cylinder 54 is detached. In the slot 67a of the support 67 from which the comb segment 66 is removed, foreign object such as cotton fly accumulates, but cannot be cleaned with the brush 63. When a certain amount of foreign object builds up in the slot 67a, the foreign object mixes into a web (wide fiber bundle) and significantly deteriorates the sliver quality.